A Crash Course In Chemistry
by Katy5219
Summary: AU/AH. One-shot. My submission to this year's TVDmixing event. Prompt by Scarlett2112. Damon runs an orphanage. A few nights before Christmas, he meets Elena. By Christmas Eve, everything is in ruins. Can Elena lend a helping hand and save the holidays for Damon and his kids?


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**AN:** Happy new year, folks! A few days ago, I was asked to help out at this year's TVDmixing fanfic exchange, and I jumped at the chance. Here is the prompt I filled, from the lovely **Scarlett2112**: "_Damon is the director of an orphanage. He's been putting every piece of spare change in a piggybank all year long to buy the children presents for Christmas, only to discover that someone has absconded with the funds. There isn't enough money in the home's general fund for him to buy any presents for the children. Somehow Elena learns of his plight, gathers friend and family to give those children and Damon too a Christmas they'll never forget._"

I've been extremely busy this year, and I've been dealing with a lot of personal stuff, so I haven't been updating my fics. I know, I suck. That being said, don't read whatever I write just to leave nasty comments. Yay, glad we got that sorted out! Thank you SO much for all the support I've received. I've been unable to reciprocate, and I need to do better when it comes to that, but I love the DE fanfiction community. You guys are all incredible. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

* * *

"Okay, let's hear it again. What is Uncle Stefan's greatest fear?"

The child looked up at him with big doe eyes, his mouth slightly ajar in wonder.

"Come on, we've gone over this. You know this, Danny." Damon tried to coax the answer out of the 5-year old.

"Uncle Stefan is...afraid of girls?"

"Correct! And their cooties, but luckily you can get a shot for those." Damon winked at the befuddled youngling.

"Damon! What are you doing, most of the kids are in bed by now!"

He rolled his eyes as he saw his younger brother enter the recreation room. Stefan smoothly maneuvered through the mess of lego and toy trains that littered the floor, and swiftly picked up Danny, as if to shield him from further corruption.

"Party pooper." Damon muttered under his breath.

"What did you tell him this time, Damon?" Stefan glared at him. "I am not afraid of girls!"

"Women, Stefan, you're a grown man." Damon corrected him. "Really not making a case for yourself here, what with the squeaky objections. Is Caroline still single, by the way?"

Stefan covered Danny's ears. "I swear, whoever let you be in charge of an orphanage must've been the only person on the earth hitting the bong harder than you!"

"Just because I'm liberal-"

"Disturbed." Stefan whispered.

"Doesn't mean I can't take care of a bunch of rugrats. Feed them, chuck balls at them, teach them to fetch." Damon shrugged flippantly.

Stefan put the child down gently. "Danny, why don't you go in the kitchen? Caroline's bound to have a juice box or two for you to sip on."

The child skittered off in search of the promised sugary goodness, and Stefan turned around to face his brother once more. Damon rolled his eyes, fully prepared for the lecture he was about to receive.

"They're not puppies." Stefan interjected.

Damon shrugged. "They're cute, they like me, and they drool. They may as well be." Seeing Stefan's face darken, he grinned. "Relax. Which one of us is the one with the PhD in behavioral psychology?"

"You."

"And which one of us failed nursing school after sleeping with the principal's daughter?"

"It was an accident!" Stefan cried out. "How was I supposed to know they were related?"

"The nose was a dead giveaway to me." Damon shrugged. "My point is, lighten up. It's Christmas. I may be unorthodox-"

"Unprofessional." Stefan muttered again.

"But I get the job done." Damon repeated. "We haven't gone over budget all year. Largely thanks to my flirting with all the right state officials. And with the occasional housewives who grace us with their benevolent spirits and chunky checkbooks."

"You're the devil." Stefan chuckled. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so hard on you. I know you've been working hard this year. Mom would be proud, this was always-"

"Too far." Damon cringed. "We've done the whole brotherly bonding thing, can we go get drunk now?"

Stefan shook his head. "It's December 23rd, you derelict. I promised Caroline I'd help her clean up tonight. We also still need to plan for tomorrow, we're picking up the kids' presents, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Damon nodded. "You know, kids these days just don't understand the true meaning of Christmas. It's all about the toys and games these days, what happened to celebrating the birth of the Messiah? Really makes you miss the good old days."

"You mean the good old days when you used to spend each Christmas raiding dad's liquor cabinet?" Stefan raised an eyebrow.

Damon slapped him on the shoulder. "Precisely. Tell Blondie I want everything to be spotless by tomorrow morning. We're going shopping, she should like that, right?"

"She's not gonna like the budget, that's for sure."

"Tough shit, it's all we can afford to spend on presents this year."

Damon picked up his coat. "I'm gonna do a quick tour and check on the kids before I leave. Is Bennett on night shift?"

Stefan nodded. "Reluctantly, yes."

"Good, the kids think she's a witch, helps keep them in line." Damon grinned. Pissing off Bonnie Bennett had quickly become one of his favorite pastimes. He often wondered why she didn't like him.

He began walking away, only to halt when he heard Stefan call out to him once more. "What?"

"Are you really going out?" Stefan seemed to be carefully picking out his next words. "I mean, it's Christmas Eve tomorrow."

He shrugged. "Who cares?"

* * *

"Another one." Damon motioned to his empty glass of bourbon.

The bartender working the night shift at Mystic Grill rolled his eyes, before pouring him a refill. Damon grabbed the tumbler and took a gulp, relishing the way the liquid burned his insides, allowing him to forget all the worries in his life.

He did have quite a few. Not that he carried it all on his face like Stefan. After their mother had passed away five years ago, they'd found different ways to cope. Stefan had gone to nursing school with little success. Damon had followed in his mother's footsteps, gaining the same degree as late Mrs. Salvatore, and ultimately assuming the role she'd once held as the Director of Saint Josephine's Orphanage.

Their father, Giuseppe, on the other hand, had simply stopped caring. Rarely if ever did they receive calls from their father. Not that he minded, and he guessed Stefan had stopped a long time ago as well. It was no use holding on to the past, he'd come to learn. Not that his choice in profession was great proof of him letting go, but he was willing to make the occasional exception.

Twirling the glass between his fingers, he stared into the amber liquid and pondered at the absurdity of his life. Almost 30, still single, a complete train wreck, as per usual, and what did he do with his days? Wipe snot off children's faces, all the while picking lice out of their dirty little heads. He grinned. Now that had been a wild day. Stefan had even ended up with a faceful of porridge, much to his amusement.

He knew he'd only gotten the job due to his family connections, and he knew there were plenty of people who didn't agree with his rather unorthodox way of leading, but it was the only meaningful thing in his life. His father had always considered him to be a disappointment, but his mother...His mother had been an angel, always encouraging him to do whatever made him happy, which changed by the week. Now, all he wanted to do was to make her proud. Not to mention, he really had grown quite fond of the little brats.

Working with Stefan wasn't all bad either. Plus he'd gotten to hire a lot of people he already knew from his college days, like Caroline. She was annoying, but at least she distracted Stefan like no one else, and that alone was worth a hefty raise. There were also others he'd hired through interviews, like Bonnie. Bonnie had extensive experience in childcare, and she took none of his shit, a trait that was occasionally useful. All in all, it wasn't a bad job, largely because he was surrounded by somewhat tolerable people. Most nights, however, he needed to get away.

He needed to get away from it all. Caroline's awkward attempts at bonding, Stefan's constant pestering, and Bonnie's withering glares. In a way, he'd always felt emotionally orphaned himself, which was one reason why he could empathize with the children he worked with. Even with his family and friends, he had always felt...like a puzzle piece stuck in the wrong place. Uncomfortable in his own admittedly gorgeous skin. It hadn't helped, growing up, that his brother had an incessant need to be perfect, when he just couldn't be bothered. After all, what was the point in striving for something unattainable? His father had never agreed with his way of thinking, much preferring his suck-up of a brother.

"This seat taken?"

Damon turned his head and did a double-take. Holy fuck. His eyes traveled from her mile long legs to the edge of her miniskirt, all the way up to her breasts, pushed up by something lacy (he could just see the edge of the fucking thing), and he finally stopped at her face. Her face. Those molten eyes, and cherub lips, pursed in amusement. Was he seeing things? She was much too good looking to be at a dive like this. Too good looking to be caught with the likes of him. According to customer reviews, he was quite the fuckable hunk, but she looked **good**. He could see traces of some innate innocence in her eyes, regardless of the way she was eyeing him with mischief. She was a good girl, all right.

"Nope." He popped the last syllable out with feigned boredom.

"May I?"

"It's a free country."

She sat down in the stool beside him, holding on to what appeared to be a Gin and Tonic. He chuckled to himself. It was a rich person drink, boring and bitter, something she'd learned to drink at family occasions, he wagered. He knew from experience. He was no longer flush with cash, due to Giuseppe cutting ties with them, but he remembered it all.

She flipped her hair to rest on her left shoulder. He snuck a peek at her, and yup, she was still stunning. What the fuck was she playing at? Not that he didn't mind the idea of banging the bejeezus out of her, but she was so brazen about approaching him. What was her deal?

"So. What's up?" She asked, biting that delectable bottom lip, in what might've been hesitation.

He shrugged flippantly. "Nothing much, just contemplating man's existential dilemma."

She grinned. "So you're just getting shitfaced?"

Damon smirked at her. "And what about you then? Do you make it a habit of chatting up strangers in seedy bars?"

She extended her hand. "Elena."

He eyed it for a moment, before gently grasping her hand in his and shaking it. Her hand was warm and soft, and he resisted the urge to run his fingers over her skin. A small tremor passed through her smaller hand, and he instinctively knew she was blushing.

"Damon. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." She acquiesced. "Do you come here often?"

He laughed. Was she serious? "Sweetheart, you really need to brush up on your pick-up lines."

Her mouth flopped open, as if she couldn't believe what he'd just said to her. It was kind of cute, if righteous indignation was your thing, not that it'd ever tickled his fancy.

Elena's eyes narrowed as he continued looking amused, until she smirked right back at him.

"Did it hurt?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "When I fell from heaven?"

"When Lucifer kicked you out from hell." She emphasized her point by lightly kicking him in the shin.

"Jeez, woman." He groaned. "Lighten up, you're the one who's hitting on me."

Elena sighed and looked down in her lap. She brushed some invisible lint off her shirt haughtily, and crossed her legs again. He openly gazed at her, seeing as she was too preoccupied to notice.

"So what's your deal?" He couldn't help it, he was a glutton for punishment.

She looked up, her eyes wide in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"Why are you here? Why are you talking to me? What's up?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, this was stupid."

Elena began getting up, and he placed his hand on her shoulder. She paused.

"I have nothing better to do, you may as well tell me."

She sat back down. "Fine. I broke up with my boyfriend a few weeks ago, I was hijacked by friends, and they dropped me off here, hoping I'd find a rebound."

Damon looked at her, and burst into laughter. Was she serious? This was all he needed. Merry fucking Christmas to him.

"You only wanted me for my hot bod, and not for my beautiful mind? How scandalous, Miss Elena!"

She glared at him. "Haha. As if you weren't the one burning holes in my chest a few minutes ago. Besides, this place is dead, it's Christmas."

He nodded. "You caught me, and as per usual, I regret absolutely nothing."

She smiled at him. "Can we start over?"

Well. He'd wanted to spend a peaceful night bonding with some of his favorite bottles, but she was...sort of endearing. She was pushy, yet not as overtly exuberant as Caroline. She was witty, but she didn't use it as a sword like Bonnie did. She didn't slash at others. If anything, for all her good looks and charming traits, she seemed to be shielding from the rest of the world. It was fascinating, enough so to distract him from his original plans.

"Why not." He smirked at her lazily. "But lose the gin, you're not a grandma."

"Says the guy drinking...whisky?" Elena scrunched up her face.

"This here," Damon motioned to his glass, "is Bourbon. Kids these days, so ignorant."

"Isn't Bourbon a fancy word for whisky?"

"Ahh, nothing gets past you, does it?" He grinned. He was impressed, her IQ was clearly higher than most of his conquests'.

She picked up the glass of Bourbon, sniffed at it tentatively, before making a face. "How can you drink that? It smells like gasoline."

He leaned in closer, and took the glass from her. "It's part of the appeal. It burns. All the way from the tip of your tongue to the bottom of your stomach. It distracts you from whatever shit you're dealing with."

She stared into his eyes, and nodded. "You make a compelling argument."

Grabbing the glass, she downed what was left of the liquid, before making a very unladylike noise.

"Jesus."

He grinned. "Well, t'is the season. How'd that feel?"

"Like hell." She groaned, and motioned to the bartender. "Can I get some water? Thanks."

"You're such a lightweight." He laughed at her.

Elena pointed a finger and jabbed at his chest. "Shut up! I'm just not used to it, that's all."

"Yeah, yeah." He raised his hands in surrender. "You really suck at this Femme Fatale bit."

She huffed and crossed her arms. "No, I don't. I'm just in a funk, is all. I'm usually more fun."

He could sympathize with that. He'd had his own share of bad break-ups. Well, he'd never had a good break-up, his relationships always ended with lots of screaming and the throwing of his personal property. It wasn't his fault that he sucked at being a boyfriend.

"Pssht. You got dumped. Shit happens. Move on."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll have you know, that I was the one who did the dumping, thank you very much. Why would you automatically assume that I got dumped?"

He motioned at her, flailing his arms. "Look at yourself. You're all dolled up and jittery, you look scorned."

She glared at him. "I wasn't scorned. Matt would never do anything to hurt me."

"Ahh, so the boy's name is Matt."

"I don't like your tone."

"Seems like you didn't like Matt either."

"I liked him fine!" She glared at him again. "Not that it's any of your business."

She was pouting now, and goddammit, it was cute. He was a goner. He knew he wanted to sleep with her, and if getting a rise out of her would keep her chest heaving in that delightful manner, well. He'd just keep on getting under her skin.

"Sorry, you just looked like you needed to purge."

After that, she was quiet for a long moment. He guessed she was wondering what the hell she was doing. It was exactly what he was doing. He didn't usually have to work this hard at talking to someone.

"It was..." She considered her words. "It wasn't passionate. I don't know if it ever was. It's supposed to be exciting, right? Love?"

Damon shook his head. "I'm the wrong person to ask."

She looked at him curiously, and he pretended not to see the pity in her eyes. "You've never been in love?"

"I have." This was dangerous territory, he didn't much like rehashing the past.

"And?"

"Painful, pointless, and overrated."

"So what, we're doomed to be alone forever?"

He motioned to them. "Well, I don't know about the rest of them, but it's Christmas, and we're getting smashed in a bar."

"**You're** getting smashed," Elena corrected him, "I'm prying into your life. What do you do for a living?"

"I work with kids."

"You do not!" She guffawed gleefully.

Damon grinned. No one ever believed him. Hell, even Stefan had looked at him like he was crazy when he'd told him about his new job. "I rob banks."

"Fine, don't tell me." Elena pouted. "Dangerous mystery man."

"And what about you, my darling Elena?"

"I'm an English major, but I'm also doing an internship at a publishing house."

Damon made a face. "And suddenly it all makes sense. No wonder you're such a hopeless romantic."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you've read dozens books that tell you what love's supposed to be like, and you've never actually experienced it for yourself. That's why you broke up with your boytoy, because he wasn't leading man material. He was Bingley, not Darcy. Or Linton, not Heathcliff, if that's what you're into. You could've been happy with what's-his-name, but you're chasing some phantom hero that doesn't exist."

"Jeez, why don't you tell me how you really feel." She muttered sarcastically. "I'm not looking for anything. I just knew it wasn't right to stay in a relationship that didn't feel right. Love is supposed to be passionate."

"You're a lost cause." He groaned. "Passion is all about chemistry, not love. You either have it or you don't. You don't even need to like the other person."

Elena gave him a look. "You're talking about sex."

"What, and you think love's all about holding hands and dancing through a field of daisies?"

"So you equate sex with love then?"

"No." He shuddered in disgust. "But you can't be in love without being all hot for the other person, but you can have sex without all the nasty stuff, like cuddling, and blanket shopping, and warm cups of tea."

"Out of all the bars in all the lands, I had to be dropped off here." She chuckled. "I don't know, I guess I haven't experienced whatever it is you're talking about."

"Clearly." He laughed.

She picked up her forgotten drink again, and played with her straw. Damon glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and noticed that she seemed more stoic all of a sudden. Shit. Had he really wrecked her night? This was why he preferred to drink alone, he wasn't a people person.

"I'm sorry." He sighed. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Her mouth curved ever so slightly upwards. "You didn't. It's just a depressing thought. I'm here, it's Christmas, and I apparently don't know anything about love or passion. I'm officially sharing in your contemplation of our existential dilemma."

"I'll drink to that." He raised his glass and downed what was left of it. Waving to the bartender he ordered them another round.

It wasn't that bad of a way to spend Christmas Eve's Eve. He could keep the poor, sad girl company, and go home in the wee hours of the night. Hell, maybe this was his version of Christmas Spirit. He'd avoid banging her and gain some good karma. Or something.

* * *

He woke up to the sound of his cellphone ringing. God, had it always been that loud? Jesus. And had Caroline really changed his ringtone to Smooth Operator?

He cracked open an eye. That wasn't his dresser. Nor was his bed this short. He most certainly didn't have flannel sheets.

He felt a sudden flash of bursting pain when a limb smacked him in the face. He grabbed the offending arm off his face with disgust.

"Turn s'ti off." Someone mumbled from beside him.

Damon looked over and groaned. Was this real? No, someone up in the heavens had to be joking. Apparently the road to hell really was paved with good intentions. Apparently he'd thrown all his chivalry in the wind and slept with the sad girl. Several times, if his aching body was any indication. In her dorm room.

"Alley too."

"What?" Damon asked.

"You're talking out loud, Sherlock. We had sex once in the alley behind the bar, and then we came here and had some more sex. Now turn it off." She mumbled sleepily into her pillow.

Oh. All of a sudden, he was hit by a thousand flashes from last night.

/

"_You are such a lightweight!" She giggled. "And for such an old man too!"_

"_Old?" He cried out in mock indignation. "I'm like a fine wine, I only get better with age."_

_Elena laughed harder, and grabbed another shot off the table they'd commandeered. _

"_Whatever, old man."_

"_That's it!" _

_He grabbed at her sides and began tickling her mercilessly. If she was going to act like a brat, he'd just...sink to her level. Whatever, his brain wasn't working. _

"_Stop!"_

"_Make me!"_

_And she did. All of a sudden, with surprising grace, she tumbled into his lap, her mouth smashed against his. She plundered his mouth with her tongue, and he was momentarily too shocked to do anything. _

_After that millisecond had passed, his hands found her hips as she kissed him harder. It wasn't like any kiss he had ever had, drunk or sober. She was timid, but dangerous. Clearly lacking in experience, yet instinctively sensual. _

_He groaned as she grinded her hips against his. God, that skirt was so short. His hands trailed down to the edge of the fucking thing, and he began pushing it upwards. _

"_Damon..." She gasped. _

"_This isn't a motel!" Someone yelled. _

_The bartender, his mind supplied. _

_Right. Public establishment, indecent exposure, very bad. _

_/_

"_It's too cold," He whined. _

"_I'm not cold, are you cold?" Elena slurred. _

_She pushed him against the brick wall harder, with enough strength to make her point. Turning the tables on her, he grabbed her by her waist, and turned them around. Pushing her against the wall, he covered the entire length of her body with his, and allowed her to feel his growing ache for her. _

"_We're doing this on my terms."_

_Damon pushed her skirt on to her hips and pulled her panties down. Her hands trailed down to his jeans, and she opened the buttons to his jeans. With shaky hands, she pulled his fly down, and after that, all he felt was scorching heat. She gripped him in her fist, causing him to hiss. _

"_You think?" _

_Slowly, she moved her hand up and down, and he was instantly hard. He covered her hand with his. _

"_You're playing with fire."_

_Pushing her hips forward, she guided him to her entrance, until the tip of his erection pushed in softly. He shuddered. He looked up into her big dark eyes, and saw her lose herself in the haze of lust with him. _

_Elena licked her lips and nodded. "Then burn me. I want you to, Damon."_

_It was all the invitation he needed. Grabbing her bare ass, he set her on to his hips and she locked her legs around him. Pushing her up against the wall, Damon entered her with one, swift move. Elena moaned, as his thick length moved in and out of her. _

_He fondled her breasts through her bra. God, how could he possibly get any closer to her? She fit so snugly around him, and he enjoyed the tiny, mewling noises she made, even as she desperately tried to remain silent. All it did was make him want to make her scream his name. _

_Elena buried her hands into his hair and pulled, hard. She quickly found his rhythm and began matching it. She kissed his lips, and he kissed her back with equal desperation. He was drowning. He couldn't breathe. The alcohol was making him warm and the edges of his vision were positively blurred. But he could see her clearly enough, as she bounced on top of him, her inner walls sucking him in with each move. _

_They moved in tandem, each thrust of his hips bringing him closer to ecstasy. She clenched around him experimentally, and he had to remind himself not to lose control. If she wanted to get burned, she'd better have been prepared to get scorched._

"_Damon, I-" She gasped. "I need..."_

"_I know."_

_He could say nothing, he knew they were both spiraling now. Pulling her tighter on to him, he started pounding into her as hard as he could, the angle of his thrusts hitting the sensitive bud of nerves above his cock. _

_Bringing his hand down her lithe body, he found her overheated center. As he found the point where they were connected, he groaned as he felt the wetness on his fingers. Locating her clit, he began rubbing her rapidly. _

_Elena's eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she grinded down on him harder. She tore at his leather jacket with reckless abandonment, and then he got his wish. _

"_Damon!"_

_/_

"_Elena!" _

_She was killing him. He could see her head moving up and down his cock, her mouth swallowing him into its wet heat. As he tried to buck up into her mouth, she pinned him down to her bed with her left hand, her right one covering what little she couldn't fit into her mouth. _

_She licked him up and down, then sucked him into the cavernous heat of her mouth again. It was torture. He buried his hands in her hair and cursed. Was she fucking humming? His entire body was shaking, he could no longer handle himself. He felt like a teenager. _

_Elena moved her lips over his throbbing member faster, and then his mind exploded into a supernova. She continued licking him fondly through the aftershocks, and to his surprise, she'd even swallowed. Was this his Christmas present? He must've been fan-fucking-tastic in the past year. _

_She crawled up his body and let out a small giggle, before falling in beside him. It took a while for her breathing to level out, and Damon was content to just listen to her. He was too lost in his drunken contemplation. The night hadn't turned out the way he'd planned. He wasn't quite sure if it had ended up for the better or for the worse. _

"_Damon." She whispered in the darkness. _

"_Yeah?" He turned around to look at her._

_Elena looked young once more, and she had her hair tucked behind her ears. She looked into his eyes with such openness and trust, that he wanted to stay there and look at her for the rest of the night. If the eyes were the mirror to one's soul, hers only reflected the white flame that she embodied. She was all heat and yet he was convinced that it wasn't the bad kind. In fact, in that moment, he was positive that she could burn even his darkest sins off him. He felt very small all of a sudden. _

"_Could you...stay? Stay with me? Just for tonight?" She pleaded. "I don't wanna be alone."_

_There were a thousand reasons why he shouldn't. Damon knew that. For one thing, Stefan would kill him in the morning. He had to go shopping for the kids' presents tomorrow, and he didn't need the distraction. He should just pick up his clothes and get a cab home. That was the sensible, adult thing to do. _

"_Sure."_

_Wrapping an arm loosely around her waist, he sighed as she curled into his side. Her curls tickled his bare skin, and he allowed sleep to take him._

_Fuck responsibility. Responsibility could wait a few hours._

_/_

He was the biggest idiot in the history of idiots. What the hell had he been thinking? It was already...He looked at the alarm clock on her dresser, 9:30 am! Stefan was probably fuming. He couldn't even imagine what Blondie and Bennett were saying about him. At least the kids were taken care of, he reminded himself.

The phone's continued ringing jarred him from his mental self-flagellation. Damon grabbed it and answered immediately, knowing full well who it was. "Stefan, for the love of your favorite brand of hair gel, leave me alone. I'll be there in 30 minutes."

He hung up on his brother and jumped off, a bit too fast. His head was killing him. Not that he had the time to deal with it. Or to grab a shower and some fresh clothes at his place. The kids had been looking forward to their presents for months, and he'd had everything planned for months. He was not going to fuck this up.

Putting his jeans and his t-shirt on, he began scouring the floor for his shoes. He heard rustling from the direction of the bed, and turned around. She had a sheet wrapped around her body, and she was inspecting him with sleepy eyes.

"So." Elena began.

"I have to go, I have some work to do." Damon said hurriedly.

"Yeah, okay." Elena nodded. "I totally get it, I should probably work on some stuff too."

He grabbed whatever else of his belongings he could see lying around, and let out a deep breath.

"So." He felt awkward all of a sudden. He'd probably been her first one-night stand, and he had no idea how to deal with the way she was looking at him.

"Can I have your number?" She blurted out.

Damon cringed internally. This was exactly what he didn't do. Dozens of girls had asked him the same thing. Some had gotten fake numbers, sometimes he'd been handed a number. He always lied and said he'd call them later. He never did. What did she even want from him? For some reason, he didn't feel comfortable lying to her, making this all the more harder on him.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Elena nodded again. "Okay."

Damon nodded too, and he felt like an idiot again. Why was he nodding? She looked like he'd just kicked her puppy, and he felt like it too. It was a wholly unnatural feeling to him. Clearly, he needed to get away from her fast. He had a whole bunch of kids waiting on him to deliver, the last thing he needed was another person he could disappoint.

"I really need to go." He sighed. "But I-"

"It's fine." Elena cut him off. "Just go."

He walked over to where she was sitting and cradled her head. He kissed her softly, knowing he would never see her again.

"Bye, Elena." He whispered against her lips.

"Bye, Damon."

Damon let go of her and turned around. As he began walking away, he couldn't help feeling like a piece of him had just been torn off. He knew if he could just turn around and look at her once more, the pit in his stomach would ease.

He kept walking.

* * *

"Call off the National Guard, your savior has returned!" Damon ran inside.

He immediately saw Bonnie, Stefan, and Caroline huddled close together, looking far more depressed than was necessary. He was only an hour late, after all.

Stefan turned to glare at him. "I've been calling you non-stop for hours."

"I know and I'm sorry, Steffy, but I am here now." Damon tried to appease him. "What's wrong, worker bees? Did Johnny have another allergic reaction? We keep the medicine-"

"In your office, we know." Bonnie jumped in. "Our funds for the Christmas presents are gone."

"Way to be gentle about it." Caroline muttered under her breath. "He definitely won't freak out now."

Damon blinked rapidly. "Wait, what? Stefan, what the hell is she on about? We have money."

Stefan looked at him darkly and lifted the safety deposit box where they kept all their donations. The donations that went to the kids' presents each year.

"What the fuck happened?" Damon hissed.

Bonnie shook her head. "We don't know. We keep it stashed, you know that. Our best guess is that one of the temps took it all last night."

"Well which one?"

Caroline shrugged. "They come and go as they please. What with the holidays, we really have no way of knowing before the agency returns our calls."

He shook his head. He was still dreaming, that was it. "How could this happen?"

"I don't think anyone ever expected someone to steal money from little children." Bonnie spat out the words, physically disgusted. "Nor did we expect you to disappear when we needed you here."

"Just don't." Damon sighed, physically exhausted. "I'll figure this out. I can pay for it all from my own pocket."

"Damon," Stefan began hesitantly. "You don't have the money. You spend everything you make on this place, as do the rest of us."

"So what?" He glared at his brother. "I should just walk on up to thirty kids and tell them I fucked up their Christmas? Go me!"

"Snap out of it." Bonnie yelled at him. "You weren't here to help us deal with this, and you're not gonna be all self-pitying about this now. You're a professional, act like one. God, I knew this job was too much for you."

Damon nodded, his cerulean eyes turning cold once more. "As did everyone else."

He started walking towards his office, trying to block out the sounds of laughing children. That'd be over soon enough.

"Damon!" Caroline stomped. "Get back here! We need to figure out what to tell the kids."

He stopped walking. "Tomorrow, we're gonna tell them the truth, and we're gonna apologize. At least I am."

With that, he left the three of them standing in the hallway, and headed to his office. If you could call it that, it was the size of a closet. Not that he'd ever minded. He walked through the corridors, occasionally peeking in on the children. Lots of them were sitting in the kitchen, snacking. Two, Sam and Isaac, were building a Lego house in the rec room. God, he felt low. Never had he failed on this spectacular a level before, and that was saying something, seeing as his life had been one big string of failures.

Opening the door to his office, he closed himself in with a heavy thud. He walked over to his chair and sat down, fully afraid that his legs might give out. He still felt sick from all the drinking he'd done the previous night, not to mention how he'd left Elena. And now this. He wanted another drink.

Damon groaned and let his head slam against his desk. He deserved to feel bad and he most certainly didn't deserve a drink. He'd been so on top of things all year long, and when it really counted, he'd completely folded. He'd had sex with Elena, and his entire world had come collapsing down on him. The universe clearly wasn't a fan of their pairing.

He considered his options again, only to groan as he realized that there was nothing he could do. He was broke as it was, as were his friends. His father would never donate money to any project he was running, the Ebenezer that he was. Not to mention it was Christmas Eve, making it that much harder to call up any favors people might've owed him.

Damon spent the next several hours lost in thought. He couldn't go see his kids, not just yet. Not if there was any way to rectify this mess. He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He was just a mess. There was no way to fix what had been done, not in a day. Not with the resources he had, at least. For all the years he'd spent educating himself, he was stumped.

He glared at the door when someone knocked on it.

"If you are of adult height, weight, and age, you need not bother." He yelled.

The door opened and his heart skipped a beat. How the hell had she found him?

"Hi." Elena waved at him, as she closed the door behind her.

She was dressed in a sweater and jeans, and she looked completely out of place. Her stance was rigid, as if she was unsure of what she was even doing there.

Damon sighed. "Elena, this really isn't a great time."

She picked something up from her pocket and placed it on his desk. He looked at it and chuckled. Of course. It was a calling card, his calling card, to be exact. He always kept some on him, in case he found people willing to donate to the orphanage.

"You left that." Elena looked down. "I googled you. I guess you weren't lying."

"What?"

Elena looked up at him. "You said you worked with kids."

"And you laughed." Damon chuckled without mirth. "Good call right there."

She frowned and walked over to him. "What's wrong, Damon?"

He raised his eyebrows. "What is this? We have a one-night stand, and you show up here, expecting me to pour my heart out to you?"

"Like I did to you last night?" She countered.

"Whatever works for you." He glared at her coldly. "I don't need this. We're not friends. If you'll excuse me now, I'm not having the best of days."

She crossed her arms. "No. I'm not done with you. And you're not done with me."

"What do you want, Elena?"

She bit her lip. "I want the truth. Tell me what happened last night, from your point of view."

"You know what happened." He sighed. "You filled me in just this morning. We did some shots, had sex in a few interesting places and positions, and then I bailed. That's what I do, I bail. I bailed on this place last night, and the funds for the kids' presents were stolen. I bailed on you this morning, and I'd do it again. Follow my lead and skitter off now."

Elena nodded slowly. "That's really how you see yourself?"

Damon leaned back in his chair. "There's no archetypal sob story here, sweetheart. No redeeming quality that excuses what a piece of shit I am to everyone. No silver lining on this toxic cloud. I don't know what you really came looking for, but I hope you're satisfied. Don't come again soon."

She sighed and looked at her shoes again. He figured she had finally gotten the message. Slowly, however, she began advancing towards him. Well, maybe she was planning on punching him. She wouldn't have been the first woman to do so.

She came over to the other side of his desk and sat down on it. Softly, she cupped his face and kissed his forehead. Then, his cheeks. Finally, his lips. He looked at her, equal parts confused and mesmerized. What on earth was she doing with him? On Christmas Eve of all days.

"I remember..." She wet her lips with her perfect, pink tongue. "You were gentle, and funny, and I didn't feel lonely or sad with you there. And I'm positive you do a great job running this place. It kind of fits, now that I think about it. You don't allow yourself to care about a lot, but what little you do care about, you protect with your entire being. I just wanted to come here and tell you that I see it now, and I'm not mad. Thank you for being there for me last night."

Elena leaned down and kissed him. He was too shocked to do anything except sit there. Slowly, after he failed to reciprocate, she let go of him. Looking into his eyes with the exact look she'd given him last night in bed, she smiled.

"Bye, Damon."

She walked out, not looking back, leaving him caught in a maelstrom of emotions. He didn't even register Stefan walking in, too dazed to do anything but sit there.

"Who was that?" Stefan asked.

"Nobody." He replied.

Stefan nodded. "She looked awful pensive. Pretty, too. Do you mind if I try to catch up to her and get her number?"

This time, he answered his brother with a glare. Stefan smirked.

"You know, Damon," He began, "It's okay to let people in. And to like them. And to feel for them."

"I feel."

Stefan nodded solemnly. "Something other than self-loathing then. This place isn't just a job for you anymore, it's a way for you to prove your self-worth. A lot of people are depending on you, but it doesn't mean you don't need someone to depend on as well."

Damon gave him a dirty look. "The only person I can depend on is me."

Stefan looked wounded for a second, before shaking it off. "Maybe so. But sometimes, if you give them the chance, people might surprise you."

* * *

The next morning, Damon woke up with a post-it note stuck to his cheek. He groaned. Had he really fallen asleep on his desk? He longed for his bed. Getting up, he quickly grabbed his spare clothes from his emergency stash, and changed his shirt. He reeked.

He chided himself. That wasn't what was important now. It was already 8:30. He had to go out there, wake up his kids, and tell them that this year they were learning about the importance of giving to others. Which was why all the money for their presents had been given to a dead man walking. He groaned. That was gonna go over well.

Opening the door, he stepped into the hallway and bumped right into Bennett.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there." She grinned.

Damon looked at her like she was stoned. "It's fine. Are the kids still asleep? I wanna be the one to tell them the bad news."

Bonnie smiled again, and he was damn near ready to fire her. "Actually, I think you might wanna go check out the recreation room first."

"Why?" He asked. He didn't like it when she got all smug, it usually meant something bad was about to happen to him.

She shrugged. "You'll understand when you see it."

"Whatever, I'll go wake up the kids after I'm done with whatever quest you've sent me on."

As he began walking towards the door farthest down the corridor, he had the strangest feeling that something wasn't right.

"Oh, and Damon!" Bonnie yelled after him. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. Merry Christmas."

Something was definitely wrong.

He quickened his pace, until he was by the door. Slowly, he turned the knob and much to his amazement, the noises that greeted him were ones of laughter and cheer. He looked around the room and resisted the urge to pinch himself.

Overnight, the room had turned into a Christmas Wonderland. The usually bland, white walls were covered in decorations, and the windows were lit with Christmas lights. What shocked him even more was the sight of kids, his kids, unwrapping what appeared to be toys.

"Merry Christmas, Damon!" Caroline squealed.

She was dragging Stefan with her, not that he seemed to mind her holding on to him. In fact, he almost looked as if he was blushing.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Stefan grinned. "Santa's little helper."

He motioned towards the end of the room. Damon followed his gaze and could almost feel his heart skip a beat.

There she was, wearing an elf hat and helping Danny color. She was so preoccupied with the child, that she didn't even see him.

"Damon, I love her! Can you marry her? Cause if not, I think I will." Caroline gushed.

"She came over last night, and asked for our help." Stefan began explaining. "She told us her dad runs the pediatric ward at the hospital, and apparently they get a crazy amount of donated presents each year."

"It'd be great if we got some too." Caroline muttered.

"We weren't gonna dwell on that." Stefan pointed out.

"Right!" Caroline sighed. "Anyway, she told her dad what happened to us, and he promised that we could bring the excess presents here."

"She also called her boss at her publishing house, and they donated a bunch of children's books."

"You're kidding." Damon said.

"You should go say hi." His brother advised him.

"Are you serious?" Caroline raised her eyebrows at him. "He needs to go out there and apologize."

"Why do you assume I need to apologize?"

Caroline gave her a look.

"Good point." Damon conceded. "Can you make sure everything's running smoothly in the kitchen?"

"It's all under control." Stefan smiled at him. "Now go out there."

"Thanks." Damon smiled back at him.

As he walked through the throngs of laughing children, he understood how much he had to be grateful for. Not only did he have a brother he didn't quite care for (regardless of how much he loved Stefan), he also had his kids, Caroline, and Bonnie. It'd been a crazy few years for him, but it was all finally coming together for him. His mother might actually have been proud.

"See, you need to color inside the lines. Do you like blue? That's my favorite color..."

Damon smirked as he watched her purse her lips in concentration, as she helped the child color the picture. She was perplexing, to say the least. God, she was beautiful.

"I like brown. Brown's a good color."

She looked up, shocked to hear his voice, but her face instantly broke into a smile.

"Oh yeah?" She asked.

Damon sat down on the carpet beside them. "Do you mind if I color with you guys for a while?"

"We're just about to start coloring a new picture." Elena showed him the dragon they'd just colored bright purple.

"Can I go show this to Stefan and Caroline first?" Danny asked them.

"Sure thing." Damon said.

The child excitedly grabbed the coloring book, and started running towards the other end of the room in a hurry. Damon looked on fondly, happy to see Christmas hadn't been ruined after all.

"Thank you." He said.

Elena smiled at him smugly. "You're welcome."

"And," He sighed, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For leaving you yesterday. For being so rude to you when you came to find me. You didn't deserve it."

She looked at him seriously and nodded. "I didn't. But it's fine. You were totally right, anyway."

Despite himself, he couldn't help the way his heart sank at her words. Had she changed her mind about him?

Elena shrugged. "We don't know each other at all."

"Except that I'm the dangerous, mystery guy, and you're the hopeless romantic." He tried to crack a joke.

"Sometimes." She shrugged again, and he could feel himself lose what little hope he'd been holding on to.

What was he thinking? She'd helped them out, because she was a good person and that was that. It had nothing to do with what had transpired between them. Even if she had still shown signs of interest, he didn't know how to go about wooing her or whatever. It wasn't his style.

"But..." Elena bit her lip. "I would like to get to know you, though. If you'll let me."

Damon chuckled. "I think I can make an exception for you."

She sidled closer to him, and he loosely wrapped an arm around her waist. She looked up at him through her lashes. "I'm the exception, huh?"

"Well, we do have tremendous chemistry. Award-worthy, if I may say so myself."

She leaned into him and laughed. He smiled to himself and took her hand in his.

Kissing the crown of her head, he whispered, "Merry Christmas, Elena."

"Merry Christmas to you, Damon. And a happy New Year."

* * *

**AN:** That's it, folks! *Throws cookies* Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays!


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